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Pols 1337: Congress
2 main functions legislators serve
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representation and lawmaking
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representation
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efforts by elected officials to look out for the interests of those who elect them
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lawmaking |
the creation of policy to address the problems and needs of the entire nation
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pork and barrel
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public works projects and grants for specific districts paid for by general revenues
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casework
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legislative work on behalf of individual constituents to solver their problems with government agencies and programs
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policy representation
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congressional work to advance the issues and ideological prefrences of constituents
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Allocative Representation
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Congressional work to secure projects, services, and funds for the represented district
-Pork Barrel- public works projects and grants for specific districts paid by general revenues |
symbolic representation
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efforts of members of congress to stand for american ideals or identify with common constituency values.
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senator of texas
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Ted Cruz-R
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Article 1 of the US Constitution
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Defines the powers and the contents of the Legislative Branch
Gives the power to coin money and prohibits the states from doing so |
Differences Between the House and Senate
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Senators have 6 year terms. House has 2 years terms no limit.
435 House Representatives
100 Senators (can filibuster) |
Staggered Terms
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The House is replaced completely every 2 years
1/3 of Senate is replaced every 2 years (each senator serves 6-year term)
-Grants assurance and stability |
State of the Union Address
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formulates policy and plays huge role in setting the national adgenda
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Marbury vs. Madison (1803)
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Supreme Court can decide if law violates the constitution aka Judicial Review
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reapportionment
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a reallocation of congressional seats among the states every ten years, following the census
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redistricting
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redrawing of district lines in states with more than one representative
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gerrymandering |
redistricting to benefit a particular group
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pro-incumbent Gerrymandering
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Districts redrawn to maximize the chances of an incumbent winning
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Partisan Gerrymandering
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Favoring a specific political party
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Racial Gerrymandering
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Redistricting to enhance or reduce the chances that a racial or an ethical group will elect members to the legislature
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Voting Rights Act of 1982
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Set up minority/majority districts
-Creates more diversity within congress (found unconstitutional) |
strategic polititan
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office-seeker who bases the decision to run on a rational calculation that he or she will be successful
understands national trends |
descriptive representation
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the idea that an elected body should mirror demographically the population it represents
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majority party
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controls leadership structure
chooses Speaker of the House and the Senate majority leader |
Speaker of the House
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John Boehner (R)
majority party leader
-more power in House than majority leader in Senate
-power depends on person and amount given by party members |
Majority/Minority Whip
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person responsible for keeping the party members in line and getting them to vote w/ the party on legislation
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standing committee
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the permanent and most powerful committees of Congress
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select committees
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(usually) temporary legislative committees set up to highlight or investigate a particular issue or address an issue not within the jurisdiction of existing committees
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Joint committees
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similar purposes to select committees, but they consist of members from both the House and Senate
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Conference Committees
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Special type of joint committee appointed to resolve difference in the house and Senate versions of a piece of legislation
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fillibuster
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a tactic for defeating a bill in the senate by talking it to death.
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Cloture
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vote to end debate (filibuster) in the senate, requires 3/5 vote, or 60 votes
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Presidential veto
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The President rejecting a bill or law that has passed to him
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Pocket Veto
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A type of veto occurring when Congress adjourns within 10 days of submitting a bill to the president and the president simply lets the bill die by neither signing nor vetoing it.
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Item or line item veto
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a special form of veto that authorizes a chief executive to delete particular provisions of a bill enacted by a legislature without vetoing the entire bill
unconstitutional |